Forming apparatus



FORMING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 5. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug' 29, 1933- J.N. wHlTEHoUsE 1,924,340

FORMING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 3, 1930 .ziSheetsl-Sheet 2 f7 3 5 32 9 af5 i 1I f7 i H5 15 4.7 5 J5 17' 182W 23 f8 e l 47315@ u a 7d 51 if "7,

INVENTOR Patented Aug. 29, Y1933 UNITED STA Tas PAT OFFICE Y 1,924,340 vFoRMING APPARATUS e `John N. Whitehouse,i New York, N. in] ApplicationSeptember 3, 1930. Serial No. 479,503

A1,2 claims;

This invention relates to a forming apparatus and method. It isparticularly applicable to the formation of tubes from sheet material,including the formation of a tubular covering about an already existingtube.

AnV object of the invention is to providean apparatus and/ or method foreconomically'making tubes (including tubular coverings) from sheetmaterial, particularly from celluloid or other readily solublematerials.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide an apparatusadapted for the production of various sizes of tubes by a singlemachine.d

A further object of the invention is toprovide an apparatus and/ ormethod for rapidly andeconomically making single convolution'tubes(inf.Y

cluding tubular coverings) from sheet material,

particularly from celluloid or other'readily sol,-

uble materials.

Other objects of the inventionwwillbe obviousv 'from the followingdisclosure.

The form of machine disclosed is constructed and operated as`follows: Areciprocating head carries a horizontally mounted, rod-like mane.H rdrel. One edge of a Sheet of celluloid is mois-A tened withl a suitablesolvent; and then the sheet is placed upon a divided supportbeneath'themandrel. The mandrel is "depressed, carrying the sheet down between thetwo sections of the support and bending it about fthe vmandrel to`showingthe tube forming parts of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a front detail View taken in general on. the line 3 3 of Fig.2.

Fig.4 4 is a detail view taken approximately on,

" f the lines 4-4 of Figs. 3 and 6,- the parts being partially advancedto the position wherethesheet has been bent into U-shaped form.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig'. 4, but

. showing the parts advanced to fully operated position, where thesheet' has been formed into a complete tube. y Y Fig. 6 is a detail'viewtaken on line 6 6 of Fig. 3. A

'I is a perspective view of aV completed tube (o1.l 11i-14) formed tube.

Fig. 8. is an elevation of one form of mandrel which, the inventioncontemplates.

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9--9 of Fig. 8; Fig; 10 is a crosssection of a form of mandrel which maybe used in applying atubularcoverving rto an already existing tube.

The machine may be supported by legs 1', and;l operated by a pedal 2which is attached toapedal arm 3, pivoted at 4. 'A stationary bracket5'slidably supports a reciprocatory head 6. The arm 3' `is so connectedwith the head at ,'lthat the head will ybe l depressed `upon applicationrof pressure tothe pedal 2. The weight of` arm 3 is sol distributedhthat it( automatically` returns the head` v6 to its`uppermost positionwhen peda1 2l is released.

As best shown in Fig. 3, the reciprocatory head'. 6 ,includes a frame A8from which dependtwo frsli'dably lmounted mandrel suppQrtslI and 12.

asa covering for van already existing.

Removably secured to mandrel support 11 is ai* rod-like mandrel 13; andsupport 11 is rotatably mounted in its bearing v14 to permit the mandrelto be 4swung in a horizontal plane. The lower end "of mandrel support 12is `notched' forma.-y

tion, as best shown in Fig. 2, to vreceive the right hand end ofthemandrel.` Preferably-the man-V drel support 12 is secured againstrotation, as` by a screw 15 which projects` into a slot 16 without,

however, clamping the mandrel `support 12.Y If

the celluloid tubeis to be formed asa tube covering about an alreadyexisting tube (e.g., a sheetA metal tube), such already'existingV tube13a is placed upon thermandrel'. Then as far asi-the formation of vthecelluloid tube is concerned ,the tube .13@becomes a part of the mandreland for convenience it will be so considered.

A sheet of @enmarcar-(Figs. aand 3i, one edge of which has beenmoistened with a vsuit-` able solvent, is placed upon a dividedsupp'ortcomprisin'gstationary plates 18al and 18h. The

sheet may be correctly positioned by placing `it againsta stationary(but adjustable) abutment strip 21. Pressure applied to vthe pedal 2`causes the mandrel 13 to descend between stationary platesr18a and 18h,thel mandrel carrying thelcelluloid sheet with it until it has been bentinto U-shaped form asshown at 17' i`n'Fig.`4. Inv

this position the bottom portion of the sheet o1' celluloid is heldagainst aconcave'vertical slide 19, which is vbiased upwardly by lightpressure helical springs 20, 20 (Fig. 3).

Upon further movement of the Vhead 6,V each end oi a reciprocatoryhorizontalslide 22B' is errgaged by a cam 23a (one shown) andthe slidemoves inwardly. As the slde'moves it bends the righthand edge (Fig. 4)of the sheet of celluloid adjacent the top surface oi the mandrel 13. Asthe head 6 continues to move, a similar horizontal slide 220 is actuatedby cams 231, 23b and bends the left hand edge of the strip of Celluloidvover the topof theopposite edge. At about this time downward motion ofthe mandrel isjterminated by vertical slide 19 striking adjustabledetents 24, 24 (Fig).

Helical springs 25 and 26, associated respectively with mandrel supports11V and 12, now yield and the movement of head 6 continues un,- til thenose 27 of pressure member 28 has been .brought against the overlappededges ofthel sheet of celluloid. Preferably the pressure member 28 iskept hot by a suitable electric heating element 31,(Fig13) located in abore 32 in the member 28. yThe heat quickly evaporates theAsoli/'entfaiid the overlapped edgesare so securely united as to becomeVirtually one piece of celv luloid'. vPreferablya second electricheating elen ment 33 is secured to the bottom ofvertical slide 19,Ythereby'keeping theslide hot. Considerable heat is transmitted tolvarious associated parts, including the'mandrellS, thus accelerating theevaporation of the solvent and making it possible to speed upproduction.

When the pedal'2 is released head 6 rises and the parts 'are returned totheir non-operated positions.

Horizontal slides 272a and 22b are restoredv bya pair of links 35a, 35b(Fig. 2) 'atytached to stationary pivot 36, and biased outwardly byhelical spring 37. vrIfhe spring 37surrounds a rod 33 which passeslooselyfthrough the links 35" and 35h. A-smiliarpair of links ispreferably located at the opposite end of slides I 22a`and 22b as shownin Fig. 3.

'."I'o remove lthe nished tube, the, operator ygrasps theright hand end`of 'the mandrel (Fig.l

3) and swings it 'awayv from mandrel support 1,2. Norrdiiii'culty isexperienced in the removalj of the "finished product 'from the mandrel13.v wherethe VCelluloid tube 17` (Fig; 7)" has been formed' as a1covering for a sheet .metall tube 13a. Incas'es Where the Celluloidtube' is desired by 'itseha twoV part mandrelmaybe utilizedto'facilitate removalof the tube. `Such a mandrel isshownin Figs. 8andi). 'The mandrel', designated asa wholelby 40, has a'body 4l whichischannelled'at the topto ret Yceive a removable slide42; provided with ahandleportion 42e. This form of mandrel fits into` the machine which hasbeen already described. After' the Celluloid tube has been formed on themandrel, the 'operator 'swings the right hand end of the mandrel awayfrom lsupport V12 and pulls out the slide 421, The solvent andthe'drying action causes the top portion offthe tube to adheretofthe'slide 42. yThe tube does not, however, adhere to the' body 4l ofthe mandrel. Accordingly, thetube comes off with theV slide f6`5i 42 andthen the slide ,can be pulled away from the wsu lof the tube.' .l

The dimension W (Fig. 9) represents the smallest vdiameter of tube to bemade, and the machine is-built to operate with a `mandrel of thishorizontal dimension. For progressively larger'tubes mandrels are usedwhich have the same horizontal dimension wpbut have progressivelyincreasing vertical dimensions h. Thus the circumference of theymandrelsl varyprogressively,

` but all can be used in-thesame machine without v any adjustment otherthan adjusting dents 24 ,and 22D. To minimize wear where the actuatingcams engage the slides 22a and 22h, bearing surface isprovided in theform of short lengths of replaceable drill rod 47, held in by screws 48.Adjacent `vertical slide 19,v are guide plates 50, 50, the upper edgesor" which are channelled at 5l to collect solvent that may be broughtback by slides 22a and 22h. These channels 51' may be cleaned from timeto time with a conventional pipe cleaner used by smokers.

The form of the invention disclosed is merelyr illustrative incompliance with the patent statutes and'is not to be'construed aslimiting the appended claims. 'Y Y In placing tubular coverings onrelatively large sheet metal tubes, it frequently happens that theAsheet metal tubes do not run true to size.v Hence, some of theindividual tubesv may not properly t on a roundmandrel, suchas showniii-Figs. 2 to 5. This dimculty maybe overcome by using a mandrel of thecross sectionalV form shown in Fig. 1D. Thek mandrel 13a is .channelledat 55 and 56, thus'permitting an under'sized tube to flatten somewhatthroughouttwoA zones 'asjthe tube is applied tothe mandrel. In'this way,a comfortably tight nt is made with individual sheet metal tubes varyingsomewhat in actualr size from the nominal tubesize.

I claim: 1. A .tube forming machinecomprising: a re- 'ciproc'atory head,a mandrel attached to said head, means to manipulate sheet material-incon- :fjunction with said mandrel, and means to automatically actuatesaid manipulating means when theY head is'reciproca'ted.

2. Atub'e formingmachine comprising: a head,

a mandrel attached to the head, a divided-support .'for sheettmaterial,means to cause relative movement between the mandrel andsaid supportwhereby the mandrel passesbetweenv the parts of the support and carriesthe sheet material with it.

3. rA 'tube forming machine comprisingz' a head,

a mandrel attachedto thehead, a divided supporty for' sheet material,means to cause-relative movement between the mandrel andA said' supportwhereby the'mandrel passesbetween the parts of thesupport'and carriesthe sheet material with' it, and means to bend the sheet substantiallcompletely around the mandrel. Y

4. A tube forming machine comprising: a head, A `V a mandrel attached to.thehead, a divided support for sheet material, means to cause relativermovement between the mandrel and said support whereby the Amandrelpasses between the parts of the support and lcarries the rsheet materialwith itand meansto voverlap the edges ofv Y the sheet andapply `heat andpressureA simultaneously to the overlapped edges.

v5.- A tube forming machine comprising: a barlike mandrel, aslidefbiased toward the mandrel,

and means to causerelative movement between the mandrel and the slidewhereby the mandrel engages the slide and displaces the' same.Y ,c

6. A tubeforming machine comprising: a barlike mandrel, a slide biasedtoward themandrel,

means to cause relative movement between the mandrel and the slidewhereby the mandrel engages the slide and displaces the same, and means'to adjustably limit the displacement of the slide. 7. A tube formingmachine comprising: a re` ciprocatory head, a mandrel carried by thehead,

la base, a vertical slide mounted in the base and biased upwardlybeneath the mandrel, means to reciprocate the head to project themandrel with a sheet of material between the mandrel and the slide,means to adjustably limit displacement of said slide by the mandrel, andhorizontal slides operable to manipulate said sheet material.

8. A tube forming machine comprising: a reciprocatory head, a mandrelcarried by the head, a base, a vertical slide mounted in the base andbiased upwardly beneath the mandrel, means to reciprocate the head toproject the mandrel with a sheet of material between the mandrel and theslide, means to adjustably limit displacement of said slide by themandrel, horizontal slides operable to manipulate said sheet material,and means carried by the head to automatically actuate said slidessuccessively.

9. A tube forming machine comprising: a reciprocatory head; a mandrelcarried by the head, the head being movable with respect to the mandreland the mandrel being biased away from the head;` means to move the headto project the mandrel against a sheet of material; means to manipulatethe sheet material and overlap the edges adjacent the surface of themandrel; and means carried by said head to actuate said manipulatingmeans.

10. A tube forming machine comprising: a reciprocatory head; a mandrelcarried by the head,

the head being movable with respect to the mandrel and the mandrel beingbiased away from the head; means to move'the head to project the mandrelagainst a sheet of material; means to manipulate thesheet material andoverlap theY edges adjacent the surface of the mandrel; and meanscarried by the head to apply pressure to the overlapped edges ofthesheet.

11. A tube forming machine comprising: a reciprocatory head; a bar-likemandrel carried by the head, the head being movable with respect to themandrel and the mandrel being biased away from the head; means to movethel head to proi ject the mandrel against a sheet of material; means tomanipulate the sheet material and over-r lap the edges adjacent thesurface of the man-` f drel; means carried by said head to actuate said'vmanipulating'meana means carried by the head to apply pressure to theoverlapped edges of the sheet; and means to heat said pressure applyingmeans.

l2. A tube forming machine comprising: .fa re-A i between the parts ofthe divided support, and

means to complete the folding ofthe sheet about the mandrel.

JOHN N. WHITEVHOUSE.

